/ Medical Malpractice

Attorneys at the Law Offices of Smith/Coonrod can help if you have been injured through medical negligence.

When a doctor or health care provider fails to take adequate steps to prevent serious injury, or mistakenly inflicts serious injury or death, the legal system may provide one avenue for the victim and their family to obtain compensation and prevent such incidents from happening again.

Medical errors are difficult to prove and require an extensive effort on the part of the attorneys. These cases require the injured person to prove that his treatment was not proper or reasonable. The law requires that such proof be given in the form of expert testimony from other doctors of similar training and experience. Finding doctors willing to stand up in court and accuse the defendant doctor of malpractice is difficult. But it is not impossible with a strong set of facts.

Medical malpractice cases are costly in terms of time and money. The simple case may cost more than $30,000 and require several hundred hours of attorney time.

Victims of medical malpractice should contact an attorney as soon as possible to best protect their rights. Evidence collection is difficult and often requires data from medical machines or testimonies from nurses and other witnesses. Because of the nature of these cases, it is urgent that an attorney be contacted as soon as possible.

Failure To Diagnose

Failure to diagnose, as it is known in the medical and legal communities, is a form of medical malpractice, which is the negligent or incorrect performance of the professional duties of health care providers and institutions.

Failure to diagnose and treat certain conditions is a failure of individual doctors as well as a system in which insurance companies restrict diagnostic testing and follow-up care. Doctors spend more and more time getting approval for diagnostic measures, while at the same time struggle to get reimbursed by the insurer, as a result many doctors miss crucial data. Mammograms and colonoscopies are often neglected because they will not be approved.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of medical malpractice or negligence, please call the Law Offices of Smith/Coonrod for a free consultation.